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Webber lauds triple champion Vettel

Sao Paulo

Australian Mark Webber says his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel is now in "a club of his own" after securing his third successive world formula one drivers' championship in Sunday's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Webber came in fourth to finish sixth overall in the title race but said the 25-year-old German had achieved something "very, very special" after a wild and rain-hit event at Interlagos.

"He's in a club on his own now," said Webber. "Very, very special to do it three times in a row. Last year was a little more straightforward, but this year was a bit more difficult, as was 2010.

"Three in a row is going some, for sure. So I congratulate him, it's a great effort."

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Ironically, Webber almost made contact with Vettel at a rolling re-start following a mid-race Safety Car intervention, before diving onto the run-off.

"I was up nice and high and I was trying to get back into it, but I was on the white line and I had absolutely no grip," said Webber, who had previously fallen down the order following a collision with Japanese Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber.

"I tried to go wide and stay away from Sebastian," he added.

"It was quite a tricky race for Seb and I... The temperature wasn't super-easy for us to get into the car. But that race - it didn't disappoint in terms of drama, did it?"

After the race, Vettel revelled in the team's championship party and was lifted on to the champagne-drenched shoulders of two members of the Red Bull team as they celebrated this season's achievement.

All the team wore tee-shirts with 'Vettel' written across them, the first 'e' replaced by a '3' in recognition of the young German's outstanding achievement.

Vettel has now set a series of records.

In 2010, he became the youngest champion at the age of 23 and 135 days.

He was also the youngest driver to score a point when he came eighth in the United States Grand Prix on his debut for BMW-Sauber in 2007.

In 2008, his win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Monza from pole position in a winless Toro Rosso made him the youngest driver to start on pole (21 years and 72 days) and the youngest ever winner (21 years and 73 days).